Data Backup Software and Service

More and more companies have entered online backup field in these two or three years. They figure that online backup has a good future.

Yes, online backup has a good future indeed, 10 years later for common users. Why?

Usually we encourage people to cut calories, sample all the food groups in their proper proportions, eat plenty of fiber, and back up their computer files frequently. Everyone agrees, but how many really follows?

Be proud of yourself if you bother yourself to back up data. Remember, though, if you copy your data to some where else on your hard drive, consider the consequences if your hard drive crashs. If you back up to an external hard drive or to removable media and store them next to your computer, what will happen if there’s a fire or flood?

I am sure that peope would hate themself to lose all the files and e-mails which are not backed up. That's what I experienced and that why I started evaluating free backup utilities that make it easier to copy and store valuable data.

The safest approach is to store file backups on safe media in a secure place other than where you work. One way to do that is to use the Internet. So today we review free Web-hosted backup and file storage services.

BeInSync allows you to backup your documents, photos, and music automatically. Once your files are backed up, you can access them from anywhere and share them. You can also "sync" your home and work computers.

The synchronization process works like this: You update a file on your work PC. That file gets backed up online, and then the latest version is downloaded to your home PC. The process works seamlessly, as long as both computers are connected to the internet at the same time.

First, the sign-up. You can choose between Free, Professional, and Business options. The free version allows you to sync 2 computers, share up to 5 folders, and backup up to 1 GB. The professional version lifts the limits to 5 PCs, 10 folders, and 5 GB or more. Then the business version adds in advanced features like a central web console management for networks.

ADrive is one of the newest players in the online backup market, but there is one thing that really sets them apart... and that is 50 GB of free storage!

Yes, ADrive is a free service and the 50 GB of space is currently the most you can get as far as free offerings (most others offer just 1-5 GB for free.) There is a 2 GB file size limit, but very few people will have files that exceed 2 GB. To put that in perspective, high-resolution digital photos are only about 2-6 MB each.

The backup service offered is pretty standard. You get an online storage space on their network where you can upload and download files through your browser. Once you complete the easy sign-up process, all you do is log-in at adrive.com with your username and password and you can access your files. You can access your files anywhere you have an internet connection.